Fence-making machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. H. POREMAN.

FENCE MAKING MACHINE.

No. 595,158. Patented Dec. 7,1897.

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fl i'neases (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. H. FOREMAN.

FENCE MAKING MACHINE.

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Uwirnn STATES PATET rri'cn.

JOHN HENRY FOREMAN, OF ST. LUCAS, IOIVA.

FENCE-MAKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,158, dated December'7, 1897.

Application filed eptember 1, 1897. Serial No. 650,265. (No model.)

To aZZ whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN HENRY FOREMAN, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at St. Lucas, in the county of Fayette and State ofIowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-MakingMachines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This-invention relates to certain new an d useful improvementsin thatclass of fence-making machines known as fence-looms for makingwire-and-wood fencing; and my invention consists in the specialconstruction and combination of the parts, whereby I am enabled tosimplify and lessen the cost of such machines and at the same timeprovide one which will be of great capacity and easy to manipulate.

The invention consists in the specific construction and organization ofthe parts, as will be hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointedout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete machine. Fig. 2 is a planview; Fig. 3, a vertical section through the line a: so of Fig. 2; Fig.4, a sectional View through one of the twister-heads; and Fig. 5 is adetail view of the draw-board and means for operating the same.

The frame A of the machine is constructed so as to provide a main tableor platform which carries at one end an extension which serves as asupport for a roller A, which is removably journaled to arms a, whichare provided adjacent to their ends with supports a. One of the ends ofthe roller is provided with a ratchet-wheel B, with which a pawl carriedby an arm 13 is adapted to engage, and the roller is rotated by the arm13 which has at one end a plate which engages with the ratchet-wheel,said arm being connected to a lever pivoted to the main frame so as toproject above the table or platform thereof.

The main table or platform A carries two or more longitudinal slats orbars, upon which the pickets to be woven into the fencing are placed,these slats being referred to by the letter 0, and at one side of thetable or platform is a gage-strip c,against which the ends of the slatsor pickets will abut. The side pieces of the table are provided withgrooves or recesses cl, which are adapted to receive the ends of adraw-board D, which is adapted to have a reciprocal movementin therecesses d. This draw-board is moved in one direction by means of aflexible connection d, which is preferably attached to the centralportion of the draw-board at one end, passes over a suitableguide-roller, the other end of the flexible connection having attachedthereto a suitable weight (1 and it is moved in an opposite directionfrom the movement imparted thereto by the weight by a roller E, which isjournaled in the depending side pieces of the table or platform, saidroller or rock-shaft having two upwardly-projecting arms 6 connected tothe draw-board D by short sections of chain c, which are connected tothe arms 6 slightly below their upper ends. The roller or rock-shaft Eis also provided with a projecting arm E, which extends from theopposite side of the roller from the arms c, said arm Ebeing connectedtoa foot pedal or lever E It will be noted by the construction shownthat the weight will tend to keep the draw board D normally toward thetwister-heads, and said weight will also hold the foot treadle or levernormally raised. The draw-board D carries a series of forks D, which aremade up of single bars of metal bent upon themselves to provideupwardlyprojecting portions and horizontally-extending portions, havingeyes through which bolts pass for connecting said forks to thedrawboard, the function of said forks being to guide the wires and drawthe slats tight against a twist previously made prior to operating thetwister-heads, and they also keep the wire close together while beingtwisted.

The twister-heads are supported between two transverse beams G G, andsaid heads comprise two sections 9 9, having flanges which abut againstbearings therefor carried by the beams G Gr, and between the parts 9 gof the twister-heads are secured sprocketwheels II. The two parts of thetwister-heads up of a single flat bar of metal, which are atg g and thehub of the sprocket-wheel H have corresponding apertures, so as toprovide apertures for the passage of bolts M, and openings, two innumber, through which pass the wires from the spools, the bolts Mserving to hold the spools in positive engagement with each other andalso serving to connect with the twister-heads the spool-carrying frameI. The parallel beams G G have journal-bearings for the series oftwister-heads and a sprocket-wheel, said sprocket-wheel being carried bya shaft having a crank-handle. The chain for operating thesprocket-wheels of the twister-heads passes over the sprocketwheel II.Each of the beams G G is made up of two sections or pieces, the shortersections projecting beyond one of the sides of the main frame, and eachsection of the beams G G is connected to the adjacent section byhinges,as shown, so that the beams when not required for use can befolded over the main frame.

The spool-carrying frames I are each made tached to the twister-heads bymeans of the bolts 7 i, the apertures through which the wires pass beingon opposite sides of the bars I. One of the ends of the spool-carryin gframe is rounded, as shown at i,and enters bearings in a bar carried bythe main frame, and the other end of the bar I is free, and through saidfree end and the center portion of the spool-carrying frame I passes abolt I, upon which the spools which carry the wire are placed, and thebolts I not only serve as a support for the spools, two being carried byeach frame, but they also serve as a friction or tension device, whichwill prevent the Wire being payed out too freely.

The sprocket-wheels, which are journaled between the beams G G and arerigidly connected to the twister-heads and spool-carrying frames, aredriven by a sprocket-chain, which engages with said sprocket-wheels andwith a sprocket-wheel H, carried by a shaft journaled between theextended ends of the beams G, and the shaft is provided on its sidenearest the foot-treadle E with a crankhandle.

If desirable, the extended portions of the beams G may be separated fromthat portion of the beams opposite the table, so that the beams may befolded when the device is not in use, so that the fence-making machinewhen stored will occupy but little space. The parts of the frame arepreferably connected by bolts.

The fence-making machine hereinbefore described is constructed with aview of providing a simple apparatus which can be operated by a singleperson, and to this end the crank which operates the twister-heads isplaced relatively near the foot lever or treadle and also near the leverwhich is oscillated to operate the roll upon which the fencing is wound,and when the machine is in use a bundle of slats may be placed so thatthe ends will rest against the extension of the beams G G, so as to bewithin easy reach of the operator. In making fencing the oper ator willplace his foot upon the foot-treadle, which will move the slats towardthe roller. The hand-lever is then operated to turn the roller, whichexerts a tension upon the fencing and draws the wires taut, so that thewires beyond the forks will lie one above the other. A slat is thenplaced between the wires, and the crank-handle is given several turns,according to the number of twists or distance which the operator desiresthe slats to be one from the other. After the wire has been twistedtheoperator depresses the foot-lever, which moves the draw-board andagain operates the lever to wind the fencing upon the roll. As soon asthe fencing is wound upon the roll the operator removes his foot fromthe foot lever or treadle, which permits the draw-board to move back toits normal position, so that the fork carried thereby will be in closeproximity to the twister-heads.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1-. In a fence-m achine, the combination with the mainframe having aseries of twisterheads connected to sprocket-wheels, spoolcarryingframes connected to the twisterheads, the spool-carrying frames andtwisterheads being journaled on a line with each other, a draw-boardreciprocally mounted on the main frame and provided with forkspositioned opposite the twister-heads, means for holding the draw-boardnormally adjacent to the twister-heads, a rock-shaft having armsconnected to the draw-board and an arm connected to a foot-lever, aroller upon which the fencing is wound carried by the main frame and alever for engaging said roller, the lever for operating the roller,foot-treadle for operating the rock-shaft and crank-handle for operatingthe twister-heads being positioned adjacent to each other so as to bewithin reach of a single operator, substantially as shown and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In a fence-making machine, the combination of the twister-heads madeup of two sections g g, sprocket-wheels II, said parts havingregistering apertures, bolts for connecting the parts to each other, andspoolcarrying frames attached to the twister-heads by the connectingbolts, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a fence-making machine constructed substantially as described, areciprocating draw-board, a guided flexible connection weighted at oneend to hold the draw-board normally adjacent to the twister-heads, forkscarried by the draw-board, a rock-shaft connected with the draw-boardand with a footlever so that a depression of the foot-lever will movethe draw-board out of the position which is normally held by the weight,substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth. g

4. In a fenceqnaking machine, the combi- ICC nation with the parallelbeams G, G, having use, substantially as shown and for thepurjournal-bearings fora series of twister-heads, pose set forth. 10 asprocket-Wheel having a crank-handle jour- In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature naled between said beams, a chain for enin presence of twowitnesses.

5 gagement with the sprocket-wheels, hinges JOHN HENRY FOREMAN.

for connecting the ends of the beams to the Witnesses: beams oppositethe main frame so that said G. O. KRUGER,

beams may be folded when not required for LEO O. STONE.

